Quote:A federal judge has struck down a component of the USA Patriot Act, saying the post-9/11 law violates constitutional principles by attempting to force third parties such as Internet service providers who receive demands for information without search warrants to keep silent about those inquiries. U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero handed a victory to Patriot Act opponents including the American Civil Liberties Union with the ruling, which was handed down on Thursday...

The ruling focused on the National Security Letter (NSL) provisions of the amended Patriot Act. The FBI and other agencies use NSLs to gather information about U.S. residents without a search warrant. The NSLs include gag orders prohibiting those who receive the letters from discussing them.

The court found that the gag power was unconstitutional, according to the ACLU, and that because the statute prevented courts from engaging in meaningful judicial review of gags, it violated the First Amendment and the principle of separation of powers...